Monday, August 8, 2016

Lao Olympic Committee Teams Up With Austrian Counterparts

Lao sports will have the opportunity to obtain support funding from Austria after the National Olympic Committee of Lao s discussed potential cooperation with the Austrian Olympic Committee on Friday.

Currently, the National Olympic Committee has a limited budget for supporting and developing sports in Laos and sponsoring athletes to compete at the international level.Mr Boualane Silipanya ( fourth right ) presents souvenirs to Dr Karl Stoss ( fourth left ) at the National Olympic Committee of Laos' office on Friday.

During their working visit from May 5-10, the Austrian Olympic Committee's President Dr Karl Stoss and senior officials of the committee visited the National Olympic Committee of Laos and were welcomed by Deputy Minister of Education and Sports Mr Boualane Silipanya and senior officials of the committee .

Mr Boualane said some sports in Laos receive funding from the International Olympic Committee but on its own this is not enough, and other sports don't receive any outside funding.

For this reason, Mr Boulane was looking forward to working with the Austrian Olympic Committee to further sporting development in Laos.

In the past, Lao sporting teams have competed in many events at the international level, particularly at tournaments and compet itions in other Asean countries.

Dr Stoss said the Austrian Olympic Committee has cooperated with many countries in the past and the Austrian Olym pic Committee is ready to sign a cooperation deal with the National Olympic Committee of Laos.

The Lao sporting teams will have an opportunity to compete at the Asean University Games in Singapore in July 2016 and will compete at the SEA Games in Malaysia in 2017.

The National Olympic Committee of Laos and many sport federations of Laos gathered to hold the 25th SEA Games on home soil in 2009 and the National Olympic Committee of Laos was successful in hosting the 25th games.

In the past time, the National Olympic Committee of Laos sent athletics and swimming teams to the Olympic Games and other international level events in many countries.

Lao sporting teams also compete at the Asian Games and the SEA Games on a regular basis.